Latch.



A. F. WINTERS.

LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,1918.

Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

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f7 /exande/ /f M21 hrs k 3% cg ALEXANDER WINTERS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LATCHr Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 19118.

Application filed January 9, 1918. Serial No. 210,972.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER F. WIN- TERs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latchesyand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. This invention relates to a latch which is adapted for use with doors, blinds, or other structures of similar character which are hinged to swing to open and closed positions. It is a primary object and purpose of thepresent invention to produce a simple and effective latch for attachment to a door which acts automatically as the door is moved to closing position to engage with a suitable cooperating striker connected to the door casing or jamb to hold the door in closed posltio-n. various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts for roducing a particularly effective latch ofl is character and one which can be produced at a very low cost or other suitable fastenings may bepassed 'toattach the same to a door 3. A hollow of manufacture, substantially all parts thereof being formed from metal stampings.

For an understanding of the invention reference may be had to'rthe accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment thereof,,in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the latch and striker mounted, respectively, on a door and casing therefor, the door being in closed position. I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 1 showing the position of the parts as the door approaches closed position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken centrally through the latch, and

Fig. 5 is a erspective viewof the operatin handle 0 the latch.

ike reference characters refer to like parts in the different views of the drawing. ,In the construction of the latch a sheet metal housing 1 is provided, it having uplower ears 2'through which screws cylindrical bolt 4 is" rotatably mounted in the upper portion of the housing, extendin My invention comprises beyond the housing, at which end it is provided with two diverging arms 5 and 6, set

at an angle 'to each other and with the free jamb 8. In practice the striker is bent rom a strip of metal and includes an upwardly extending hook portion 9 at its outer end. A bar 10 passes transversely through the bolt 4 within the casing, its lower end being divided to form a downwardly extending lip 11 which inserts into the upper end of a coil spring 12, the opposite end of which bearsagainst the lower side of the housing 11 and is held in position by any suitable pin or lug 13 which is fastened to and pro ects upwardly from said housing. The line of force of the spring is adapted to pass across the pivotal axis of the bolt as the same is turned about its axis and in the position of the bolt and spring shown in Fig. '4, and also in dotted outline. in Fig. 3, the upper end of the bar 10 strikes against an inwardly extending stop lug 14 pressed inwardly from the metal of the housing, thereby limiting the movement of the bolt in the one direction. I I

Within the housing a rod is bent into U- shaped form, as indicated at 15, the free ends of the legs of the U being formed into outwardly projecting trunnions 16 and 17, which are rotatably mounted in opposite sides of the housing 1. The trunnion 17 is extended a distance through the side of the housing and formed into .a handle 18 which depends alongside of and below said housing.

When the door is open the parts are in the position indicated in Fi s. 3 and 4. When the door is closed the inner side of the arm 6 strikes against the upturned hooked portion 9 of the keeper .7, causing a rotation of the bolt 4 and a change of its position so that the line of force of the spring 12 passes across the pivotal axis of the bolt, .whereupon the spring and a 10 hook 9. It is apparent that the spring'in f such case causes the arm 5 .to'bear against the inner side of the hook 9 and yieldingly holds the door in closed position. To open the door the depending handle 18 maybe grasped and the same turned outwardly, whereupon the lJ-shaped part 15 bears against the lower end of the bar 10 turning the bolt and moving the spring to substantially the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the door opening readily when the bolt has been moved to such position.

A latch of the construction outlined is one which may be produced at a very low cost of manufacture. All of the parts except the spring and handle maybe produced by stamping and forming the same from sheet metal, and the handle is readily formed from a rod of small diameter. When the door is closed it is automatically held by the latch in closed position and-the same may be opened with a single outward movement imparted to the handle. It is also evident that the closing of the door is effectedwithout in any manner moving the handle which has no positive connection with any of the other moving parts of the latch. The latch is particularly of utility on small doors, such as are used on kitchen cabinets and like articles of furniture, but may also be used with practically any type of door.

I laim: I

1. In combination, a door and easing therefor, a housing attached to the door, a rotatably mounted bolt located transversely in and through the housing and having one end extended beyond the housing, two diverging arms at the end of the bolt, a striker provided with an upturned outer end attached to the casing, said end being adapted to pass between the ends of said diverging arms, and a spring associated with the bolt, the line of force of which passes across the rotative axis of the bolt as it is turned'from one position to another, substantially as described.

2. A latch for doors comprising a housing, a bolt rotatably mounted in and passing transversely through the casing, said bolt at one end extending laterally fromthe casing and formed with two angularly disposed and outwardly divergin arms, a spring associated with the bolt, t e line of force of which passes across the rotative axis of the bolt as it is turned from one position to another, and a handle for operating said bolt from one of its positions to the other, substantially as described. I f

3. A latch for doors comprising a housing a bolt rotatably mounted transversely of and in the upper end of the housing, one end of the bolt extending laterally from the housing, keeper engaging means formed at said end of the bolt, a bar located within the housing and passing through the bolt, a spring interposed between the lower end of the bar and the lower side of the a rod formed with a U-shaped bend rotatably mounted within the housing, and a housing,

navegat'e handle at one end of the rod depending from the housing, said bend being adapted to engage the lower end of the bar to turn the the upper end of the bar engages in one position of the bolt, a handle rotatably mounted on and depending from the housing, and means within the housing connected to the handle adapted to engage with the lower end of said bar to turn the bolt from one position to another on outward movement .of the handle, substantially as described.

5. A latch for, doors comprisin a sheet metal housing, a hollow cylindrica bolt rotatably mounted and positioned horizontally in the upper end of the housing, one end of said bolt extending laterallv from the hous-v ing, two angularly disposed diverging arms at the free end of the bolt, a bar extending upwardly through the bolt within the housing, a spring interposed between the lower end of the bar and the lower side of the housing, a sto struck inwardly from the housing into t e path of movement of the upper end of the bar, a rod rotatably mounted between the sides of the housing and formed with an upwardly extending U- shaped bend adapted to engage against the lower end of the bar, and a handle depending fromone end of the rod outside of the housing, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a door and a casing therefor, a keeper formed with an upwardly turned outer end attached to the casing, a

latch attached to. the door, said latch 1na rotatably mounted horizontal bolt,

cludin d of which is adapted to extend across two downwardly extending diverging arms at the end of the bolt, one of which is ,adapted to lie back of said upturned end of the keeper when the door is closed, and the other of which strikes against the front side of said upturned end of the keeper as the door is closed, thereby turning the bolt to its operative closing position, and means for the meeting edges of the door andcasing,

yleldingly holding the bolt in either of two positions to which it may be turned.

7. In combination, a door and a casing therefor,'a keeper formed with an upwardly turned outer end attached to the casing, a latch attached to the door, said latch including a rotatably mounted horizontally located'bolt, one end of which extends across the meeting edges of the door and easing when the door is closed, two downwardly extending diverging arms at the end of the bolt, one of which in one position of the bolt 5 lies back of said upturned end of the keeper when the door is closed, and the other of which strikes against the front side of said u turned end of the keeper as the door is c osing and the bolt is in another position,

10 thereby turning the bolt to bring the first arm back of the keeper, a spring associated with said bolt, the line of force of which passes across the rotative axis of the bolt to yieldingly hold the same in either position to which it is turned, and means'to manually turn the bolt to opening position when the door is closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER F. WINTERS. 

